Resident Evil’s influence has cemented it as a titan in the industry. Its T-virus-infected tendrils have wormed their way into countless games from different eras, as evidenced by the constant rush PS1-like horror games such as Sorry, We’re Closed, Crow Country, and Fear the Spotlight, and Resident Evil 4’s ability to transform third-person shooters of all stripes. Resident Evil 7’s influence isn’t quite as ubiquitous — it, in a twist of fate, followed in the footsteps of games like Amnesia and Alien: Isolation — but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t inspired any games. Crisol: Theater of Idols is one such title that proudly shows off its Resident Evil 7 parallels and is a bit more than a perfect holdover until Resident Evil Requiem.
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Right off the bat, Crisol feels a lot like Resident Evil 7. Movement is weighty and aiming is rather sluggish; don’t expect to be 360 no-scoping enemies or performing stylish parkour combos. And while this, on its surface, may seem like a detriment, the game is built around this speed and is how it sows out a lot of its tension. Its creepy, doll-like enemies slowly saunter toward the player and mean threat prioritization and accuracy is key to survival. Surprisingly (and thankfully), Crisol almost never throws its foes directly onto the player with little warning or room to breathe, so knocking out the small hordes as they shuffle forward is a suspenseful exercise that doesn’t get old.
Crisol Borrows Heavily From Resident Evil 7
In many ways, it’s like blasting the mold creatures in Resident Evil 7. Leon from RE4 would be able to make quick work of those goopy menaces, but that’s not how Ethan moves. And that dance of having to acclimate to swimmy controls while doom is slowly creeping forward is a tricky balance the game nails. Turning a mold monster to a puddle just before it lands a fatal swipe has the same thrill as firing off that final headshot on one of Crisol’s haunted dolls just as it’s about to start slashing. So while Crisol’s Gabriel and RE7’s Ethan hold their guns in the same ways, the comparisons are much deeper.
Crisol even has its own stalker-like figure reminiscent of the various members of the Baker family. Whereas players had to wander the decrepit mansion while ducking various members of said family, Crisol has multiple segments with an unkillable foe who stomps around and taunts the protagonist. These sections are the scariest parts in the entire game since there’s no real way to keep this mechanized demon at bay. And, better yet, Crisol often forces players to solve puzzles or slowly manually crank open doors while being hunted. It’s downright devious but incredibly smart since it forces players to engage with the game and do more than simply run or sneak past big threats.
Like most Resident Evil games, Crisol balances out these moments of sheer terror with its own array of puzzles. These little breaks in the action are surprisingly thought-provoking and tie into the lore. For example, one of the vaults players must break into is woven into the casino it is housed in and is key to how the cult extracts wealth from the locals. Obviously, there is still a small veil of silliness to having such elaborate locks, but Crisol at least makes these more than simple “match the symbol” puzzles that have come to define some RE games.
This isn’t to say that Crisol is a simple copy of Resident Evil’s best elements. Resident Evil games are typically highly replayable and encourage multiple runs, but Crisol can’t currently claim to be as long-lasting. It currently has no New Game Plus mode, and the character models players can purchase with banked points don’t do anything to freshen up the actual game. Crisol doesn’t even have its own take on Mercenaries, either. Despite having a well-paced and meaty 15-hour campaign, its replay value almost solely comes from its trophy or achievement list (which is currently extremely buggy).
Backtracking is also a pain in Crisol. The game often shuts doors or locks down pathways for no discernible reason, which can feel cheap for players who want to grab everything. It’s impossible to tell when these artificial roadblocks will pop up, too, so it’s inevitable that players will miss a vital upgrade or collectible if they’re not checking the map every minute or two. It’s already strange that players can’t revisit previous levels since they are all just different doors in the central hub, but it’s even weirder to keep players from freely exploring a level while in that very same level. This is in direct opposition to most of the recent Resident Evil games that keep most of these hubs open and allow for heavy backtracking.
Crisol‘s Religious Themes and Art Give It Its Own Style, Though
But even though Crisol lacks some specific parts of Resident Evil’s legacy, it also has its own spice to compensate. Its universe is like BioShock by way of Blasphemous, a fusion that’s a result of a territory dominated by religious dogma set in a land inspired by Spain. A lot of its history is doled out through various visions and diaries that demonstrate how this kind of power corrupts and is used to dominate others. While it isn’t as outwardly violent as Blasphemous or as overtly political as BioShock, it gets across similar themes and lets players piece a lot of it together. Remembering which character is which is difficult because these visions star red humanoid blobs with no faces, but its universe is engaging enough to encourage players to dig and do their homework.
Resource management is also handled differently in Crisol and flips the risk-reward dynamic many other games have. Each gun literally sucks health out of Gabriel with every shot, which puts more pressure on players to use every bullet well. Combat then becomes more of a puzzle. Is it worth it to use the shotgun in a pinch even though it leeches away a lot of health? Or is it worth taking the gamble and just using the weaker yet lower-risk pistol? So not only are the reload animations novel and uncomfortable to watch, they change the game and add a welcome layer of strategy. Flattening the resource economy also means there are fewer types of items to find, though, yet that doesn’t overwrite how well this system fits into the game otherwise and emphasizes the importance of each bullet.
Crisol has its share of unique aspects, but many great pieces of art balance both their inspirations as well as their ambitions to break off and do their own thing. Crisol’s ability to have its own striking visual style and one-of-a-kind reload mechanic combine with the well-tuned Mr. X-like segments and RE7-esque combat to create something wholly unique. So while Crisol’s release just before Requiem makes it easy to squeeze in before Capcom’s next blockbuster, it’s also still a memorable title that has the capacity to live on regardless of its proximity to a major AAA hit in the same genre.
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